IN DEPTH

Renault Reveals Engine Design for 2014 F1

Renault has revealed its new ‘Energy F1-2014’ engine which has been designed to meet the new technical regulations that are to be used in F1 racing from next season onwards.

In 2014 the FIA Formula One World Championship is set to enter a new era. After three years of planning and development, the most significant technical change to hit the sport in more than two decades is about to be introduced. Engine regulations form the major part of the coming revolution, with the introduction of a new generation of power units that combine a 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged engine with energy recovery systems that will increase efficiency by harvesting energy dissipated as heat in the exhaust or brakes.

The maximum power of the new power unit will exceed the output of current V8 F1 engines, however, fuel efficiency will be improved. With only 100kg permitted for the race, the new units will use 35% less fuel than their predecessors.

“From next year, one of greatest challenges in F1 will be to maximise energy efficiency and fuel economy while maintaining the power output and performance expected of F1 cars. Renault has pioneered this technology in its road car engine range with the Energy series. Naming the Power Unit Energy F1 creates an unbroken range, from the Clio through to our competition department,” said Jean-Michel Jalinier, current President of Renault Sport F1.

Rob White, Deputy Managing Director (technical), explained why a new terminology has been adopted to describe the latest engine design: “The next generation of F1 cars will be powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 internal combustion engine of around 600 bhp, plus around 160 bhp of electrical propulsion from the energy recovery system, meaning the term ‘engine’ will no longer fully describe a car’s source of propulsive power. It is more relevant to refer to the complete system as a ‘Power Unit’.”

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